24.8.10

The traffic jam is due largely to construction on the highway, which is supposed to go on for another month at least (ouch). Drivers stuck in the congestion, many of them truck drivers, would rather wait it out than take detours and pay more in gas. And to make matters worse, vendors from surrounding towns are gouging prices: "Instant noodles are sold at four times the original price while I wait in the congestion," one driver told Xinhua News Agency.